1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, and more particularly to a communication apparatus comprising a telephone set and a data communication unit integral with or combined with the telephone set.
2. Related Background Art
In such a communication apparatus, for example, an apparatus having a telephone set and a facsimile machine integral with or combined with the telephone set, the function of line control for the two units is frequently shared.
Accordingly, a call is made b y means of a dial (or push buttons) of the telephone set, and when facsimile communication is to be done after the line has been connected to a destination station, predetermined operation means such as a start button is depressed. In receiving a call, a hand set of the telephone set is first taken off hook, and if the calling station is a voice terminal, speech communication is performed, and if a signal tone of the facsimile machine is detected, a start button is depressed to start the facsimile communication.
In the prior art apparatus, the line is switched from the telephone set to the facsimile machine immediately after the depression of the start button. Accordingly, some provision is required to cause an operator to depress the start button after he/she has recognized the line connection. Thus, the following problems arise in the calling operation.
(1) The operator's depression of the start key is required.
(2) The operator must depress the start key after the dialing has been completed, that is, after all dialing signals have been sent out. In the pulse dialing system, a waiting time therefor is long.
The dialing technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,825,461, 4,833,705 and 4,947,423, and in U.S. Pat. applications Ser. Nos. 080,093, filed on July 31, 1987, and refiled as Ser. No. 546,685 on July 2, 1990; Ser. No. 165,477, filed on Mar. 8, 1988, and refiled as Ser. No. 471,004 on Jan. 25, 1990; and Ser. No. 325,997, filed on Mar. 20, 1989.
The technique for switching the telephone set and the facsimile machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,353,097, 4,800,439, 4,677,660, 4,932,048, 4,916,607 and 4,815,121, and in U.S. Pat. applications Ser. Nos. 108,915, filed on Oct. 15, 1987, refiled as Ser. No. 453,364 on Dec. 20, 1989; and 106,783, filed on Oct. 13, 1987. However, no proposal which solves the above problems has been made.